Sourcing Responsibly

Nestlé is committed to implementing responsible sourcing in our supply chain and promoting farm animal welfare. We continually strive to meet the highest ethical standards, and insist that our partners and suppliers uphold the same high criteria. This requires commitment and work over time. We will always be open and transparent about our efforts to address issues, from forced labor and gender inequality to corruption. Through our responsible sourcing activities, we take concrete actions, based on our 11 salient human rights issues identified in 2015. As part of this effort, in 2017 we published our Labor Rights in Agricultural Supply Chains: A Roadmap. It has enabled us to identify and prioritize 11 countries that present known higher levels of labor risks and from which we source our 12 priority commodities. Through this process, we can better target our remediation efforts on labor rights.

Respecting Human Rights

We make sure that respect for human rights remains at the forefront of Nestlé’s business by continually reviewing, monitoring and addressing the human rights risks of our activities. By upholding international human rights standards, and continuous and consistent application of our own policies, which are aligned with the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights, Nestlé can make a positive impact on all our stakeholders.

Nestlé operates with a fundamental respect for the rights of the people we employ, do business with or otherwise interact with. Nestlé opposes all forms of child exploitation. We are committed to preventing and eliminating child labor in our supply chain, working with stakeholders to develop and implement meaningful solutions. We conduct comprehensive monitoring, implement remediation activities and provide targeted support to local communities.

Through the Nescafé Plan and the Farmer Connect program, Nestlé is working directly with farmers to ensure they are growing viable, healthy crops, and that coffee farming remains sustainable. As of 2016, 100% of our NESCAFE lines achieved 4C certification for the entire line of U.S. coffee products.

Responsible Farm Animal Welfare

Our aim is to source all our eggs from cage-free hens for all our food products in the U.S. by 2020.

By 2024, we will strive to source all of the broiler chickens we use as ingredients for our U.S. food portfolio from sources meeting a higher standard of animal welfare, building on our global Commitment on Farm Animal Welfare.

Nestlé Purina is the largest buyer of fish and seafood among our U.S. operations, and Nestlé has been working diligently with industry stakeholders to identify—to the extent possible—sources of our fish and seafood ingredients. We provide all of our global seafood purchasing information to our independent NGO partner, the Sustainable Fisheries Partnership (SFP), to assess the health and sustainability of wild fisheries from which our seafood supply originates, including whole fish and by-products. Ninety-nine percent of seafood ingredients sourced from our seafood supply chain in Thailand that are fully traceable back to farms and catch vessels.

Where we make an impact

Driven by our company purpose to enhance quality of life and contribute to a healthier future, we have defined three overarching ambitions which will guide our work towards achieving our 2020 commitments and supporting the achievement of the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Our global efforts in these areas are supported through 42 commitments.